Lajos Portisch vs Vasily Smyslov (1964)

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Lajos Portisch vs Vasily Smyslov
Amsterdam Interzonal (1964), Amsterdam NED, rd 8, May-29
Queen's Indian Defense: Fianchetto. Nimzowitsch Variation Nimzowitsch Attack (E15) · 0-1

ANALYSIS [x]

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Annotations by Stockfish (Computer). [35437 more games annotated by Stockfish]

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< Earlier Kibitzing · PAGE 2 OF 3 · Later Kibitzing>
Mar-31-10		DarthStapler: Got it

Mar-31-10		scormus: <An Englishman> .... sugar dissolve in water. A superb description!

Mar-31-10		TheBish: Portisch vs Smyslov, 1964 Black to play (62...?) "Medium/Easy" I found the winning move (62...Nxg4!) right away, and a little analysis proved it correct (which others have no doubt shown already). But I thought I found another solution with 62...Nxc4(!). It took me a little more work to prove this inferior, but not totally incorrect! 62...Nxc4?! 63. Ne6+ Kc8 (not 63...Ke8?? 64. Qg6#) 64. Qd3 Now 64...Nde5 apparently drives the white queen off the f1-a6 diagonal, preventing Qxa6+, but then White brings Black back to reality with 65. d7+! Nxd7 (or 65...Kb7 66. Qb1+!) 66. Qxc4 and White wins, but 64...Nxd6! 65. Qxa6+ Nb7 is a big improvement and Black is winning, but why go through all that when you have a much easier win?

Mar-31-10		badest: <chinaski> well... 65.Qa6+ Nb7 66.Qa8+ Nb8 possibly it gets messy here (my idea was to sneak in Qg3 ... which is basically game over unless white has checks or immediate mate-threats)

Mar-31-10		badest: <TheBish> Thanks!

Mar-31-10		tarek1: <50...Ke8> was a beautiful, prophylactic quiet move. At this point, even if White sees the sacrifice Nxg4 coming, he's helpless against it.

Mar-31-10		zb2cr: Like others, I went astray after 62. ... Nxg4; 63. hxg4, Qh4+; 64. Kg1.

Mar-31-10		agb2002: Black has a knight for a bishop. White looks fairly tied up: the queen defends the bishop, the (overworked) bishop controls g2 and protects c4 and the white king cannot move; only the (unprotected) knight has some mobility (Ne6+ or Nf5 aiming at the pawn on h6). The position of the white bishop suggests 62... Nxc4, threatening 63... Nd2: A) 63.Bxc4 Qg2#. B) 63.Ne6+ Kc8 (63... Ke8 64.Qg6#) 64.Qc1 (64.Nxc5 Qxc5 - + [2N vs B]) Nde5 (64... Nd2 65.Bxa6+ Kb8 66.Qb2+ and mate in two) 65.Nf8, threatening d7+ and Qb1, looks complicated. The plan ... Qg3, ... f2, ... Nf3 might experience difficulties after 62... Qg3 63.Ne6+ Ke8 (63... Kc8 64.Nxc5 Nxc5 65.Qb6 Ne6 (64... Kd7 65.Qc7+ Ke6(8) 66.Qe7#) 66.c5, threatening Bxa6+ and c6) 64.Nc7+ Kf8 (64... Kd8 65.Ne6+ repeats moves) 65.Qf5+, etc. Another option is to try to exploit the undefended white knight with 62... Nxg4, threatening 63... Qh2#: A) 63.Ne6+ Kc8 64.hxg4 Qh4+ 65.Kg1 (65.Bh3 Qxh3+ 66.Kg1 Qg2#) Qxg4+ 66.Kf2 Qxe6 67.Kxf3 (67.Qd1(3) Ne5 - + [N+2P vs B]) Qxd6 - + [N+2P vs B]. B) 63.hxg4 Qh4+ 64.Kg1 Qxg4+ 65.Kf2 (65.Kh2 Qf4+ 66.Kh1 Qh4+ 67.Kg1 Qd4+ and 68... Qxg7 - + [N+2P vs B]) Qd4+ 66.Kxf3 Qxg7 (66... Ne5+ 67.Ke2 looks risky) 67.Kg2 (67.Qb7 Ne5+ and 68... Qxb7; 67.Qe4 Qf6+ and 68... Qxd6) Qf6 followed by ... h5, ... g4, etc. A final option is to exploit the weaknesses around the white king with 62... Nxg4 also: A) 63.hxg4 Qh4+ 64.Kg1 Qg3+ 65.Kh1 f2 66.Bg2 Qh4+ 67.Bh3 Qxh3#. B) 63.Ne6+ Kc8, only delays the attack. I would play 62... Nxg4 followed by ... Qg3+.

Mar-31-10		wordfunph: i saw 62...Nxg4 but didn't delve on it and finally decided 62...Nxc4 which was not bad at all.

Mar-31-10		SRILANKANMASTER: ah.. an incredibly elementary problem...It is a question here, of what is logical, and what is not. In fact, I found the solution in less time than it takes to bat an eyelid...yawn..but then, I AM a master of some skill...

Mar-31-10		moronovich: Yes,a braggingmaster you are.

Mar-31-10		wordfunph: <SRILANKANMASTER: I found the solution in less time than it takes to bat an eyelid...yawn..but then, I AM a master of some skill...> ahhh...<SRILANKAN...> is too slow in batting his eyelid...1 hour! and one for the books! hehe...bad joke! :-)

Mar-31-10		lost in space: I am too stupid and dump to get that.

Mar-31-10		patzer2: For today's Wednesday puzzle solution, Smyslov's sham sacrifice 52...Nxg4! destroys White's helpless King position.

Mar-31-10		benjinathan: Crap! I saw the idea but couldn't make it work. I thought 62...Qg3 followed by f2 and Nf3 if necessary.

Mar-31-10		benjinathan: I see that 62...Qg3 is actually mate in 4 for white. Live and learn.

Mar-31-10		JG27Pyth: I was in the ballpark -- but struck out.

Mar-31-10		chrisowen: Initially I missed her advantage. Nxg4 introduction and the report is change line of attack. Bishop is worse off whilst the good black knight's method's salient. Document the king's relative positions.. white shone like a star early on in the proceedings yet it results in Smyslov showing him who's the pupil. More discussion's up for the rest.

Mar-31-10		mworld: i grabbed at Nxc4 and missed the Mate in 10 Nxg4.

Mar-31-10		kevin86: I saw the whole thing-except I didn't see that the final position was inescapable mate. I thought the solution had to do with promoting the pawn.

Mar-31-10		Jimfromprovidence: Earlier, I liked 52 Qd4+ before playing f3. click for larger view If 53 Kh2, then 53...f3 wins a piece. If 53 Kh1, then 53...Qd1+ 54 Kh2 f3.

Mar-31-10		VincentL: In this "medium" position, the move that pops out at me straight away is 62....Nxg4. Does it work? Let's see. Firstly white has mating threats, but nothing immediate, due to black's knight on d7. So, 62.....Nxg4. If 63. hxg4 then 63.....Qh4+ 64. Kg1 Qg3+ 65. Kh1 f2. Now the only way to avoid Qg1 mate is to move the bishop. But Bd2/Be3 allows Qh3 mate. If Bg2, black plays Qh4+ and now the white king cannot move to g2. So white only has Bh3 whereupon Qxh3 is mate. Other white responses on move 63 fail immediately. 63. Bg2 Qxg2 mate. 63. Any other move (apart from the spite check Qb8+). Qh2 mate. Time to check.

Mar-31-10		VincentL: <Re SRILANKANMASTER>Has anyone ever seen any actual analysis on here from this kibitzer?

Mar-31-10		awfulhangover: Must be my lucky day. I at once saw the whole finish up to 65.-f2. But, it's only wednesday ..

Mar-31-10		Samagonka: I had considered 62Nxg4 but I could'nt really work out the following moves up to mate so I discarded it. Another lesson and I never seem to stop learning...

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